During the past thirty years, technical advances in the design of large joint reconstructive devices have revolutionized the treatment of degenerative joint disease, moving the standard of care from arthrodesis to arthroplasty. Progress in the treatment of vertebral disc disease, however, has come at a slower pace. Currently, the standard treatment for disc disease remains discectomy followed by vertebral fusion. While this approach may alleviate a patient's present symptoms, accelerated degeneration of adjacent discs is a frequent consequence of the increased motion and forces induced by fusion. Thus, reconstructing the degenerated intervertebral disc with a functional disc prosthesis to provide motion and to reduce deterioration of the adjacent discs may be a more desirable treatment option for many patients. To date, many spinal arthroplasty devices have, given their size and configuration, relied upon highly invasive surgical implantation through an anterior approach. Devices and methods for a less invasive posterior surgical approach may be a desirable alternative for many patients.